The Sun-Times is feeling the heat after it printed a summer reading list Sunday, citing multiple non-existent titles by real authors — which was partially produced by AI.

Why it matters: The scandal comes on the heels of a 20% cut to the editorial staff at the paper and as journalists worry about AI-generated material replacing human-made content.

What they're saying: The Sun-Times quickly distanced itself from the list.

• "This is licensed content that was not created by, or approved by, the Sun-Times newsroom, but it is unacceptable for any content we provide to our readers to be inaccurate," CPM spokesperson Victor Lim tells Axios

What happened: The Sun-Times says it licensed the content from King Features, a unit of Hearst, which claims to be the world's largest lifestyle publisher.

• In an interview with 404 Magazine, Chicago-based writer Marco Buscaglia takes the blame for using AI to source the list and not fact-check.

Zoom out: "It's always been perilous when a news outlet presents material that it didn't produce on its own," former Tribune metro editor and writer of the Stop the Presses newsletter Mark Jacob tells Axios. "AI has supercharged the danger since it's so easy for lazy and sloppy people to create bad content."

The Sun-Times Guild was swift in its condemnation of the paper's gaffe.

• "We're deeply disturbed that AI-generated content was printed alongside our work," the union said in a statement. "Our members go to great lengths to build trust with our sources and communities and are horrified by this slop syndication."
• "We call on Chicago Public Media management to do everything it can to prevent repeating this disaster in the future."

Flashback: This isn't the first time newspapers have had issues with licensed content.

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George Wendt, star of stage and screen, passed away yesterday at the age of 76.

The big picture: The star of television shows like "Cheers" and "Saturday Night Live" grew up in Beverly and carved out a successful career in Hollywood by playing into his Chicago roots.

What they're saying: "He brought a uniquely Chicago sensibility to a national stage," Second City producer Kelly Leonard tells Axios. "Sure, it was a Boston bar, but that was a Chicago guy."

• " Generations of people understand how funny our city is because of people like George."

Flashback: Wendt started his career improvising and performing in Second City revues in the 1970s.

• "Cheers" helped Wendt go from a working stage actor to a household name,

The bottom line: Wendt may be most known as a Boston barfly, but he'll forever be a Chicago legend.

More tributes to George

💸 ComEd customers' bills could go up more than $10 a month on average starting next month due to data center power demands and delayed connections to wind and solar sources. (Sun-Times)

👮 The Chicago City Council is expected to vote today on a new ordinance that would give the police department the power to implement "snap curfews" to help prevent violent teen takeovers. (ABC 7)

Domestic homicides are up 33% over last year, and advocates fear federal funding cuts will make the crisis even worse. (Block Club)

A new documentary by Chicago native Andrew Goldberg examines how racial tropes have been used by politicians and media outlets to shape public opinion and advance political agendas for decades.

Why it matters: "White With Fear," which makes its Chicago debut tonight at the Landmark Century Cinemas, details how we got to where we are today, long after predictions of a post-racial society.

What they're saying: "We wanted to show Americans that so much of how race is addressed in this country is actually the result of cynical manipulation by politicians and many in the media," the Emmy-winning journalist tells Axios.

Zoom in: Interviewees run the gamut from President Trump adviser Steve Bannon and comedian Aasif Mandvi to Hillary Clinton.

Yes, but: Production on the film stopped before the 2024 election, so don't expect any takes on issues like recent deportations.

The intrigue: Goldberg is the son of the late Chicago Tribune food writer Phyllis Magida.

If you go: Tickets for the 7pm screening of "White With Fear" cost $16.25, and Goldberg will conduct a Q&A after the screening.

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👋 Hi, it's Monica!

Steak is showing up in some odd places these days.

The latest: Just weeks after Potbelly launched a prime rib sandwich, Chicago's Farmer's Fridge is selling steak from a vending machine — albeit in a salad.

Between the lines: This Steakhouse Chopped salad ($13) arrives at a time when the nation is returning to meat despite big bets over the last decade on plant-based alternatives.

Zoom in: The salad combines mixed lettuce and Napa cabbage with roasted potatoes, balsamic caramelized onions and shaved Parmesan, drizzled with Caesar dressing and topped with crispy fried onions and tender, medium-rare cubes of seared flank steak.

The verdict: I love how the rich blend of steak, potatoes, onions and parm plays off the freshness of the greens and crunchy accent of the onions. This feels like a full meal.

The caveat: Farmer's Fridge just started rolling these salads out last week, and they're not super easy to find.

• The salad costs $13 at most locations, but prices can vary in hot spots like airports.

Keep reading for jar tips

🏆 From steak in a jar to beef on a bun!

Our tournament to crown the best Italian beef is down to the final four. Are you ready for the next round?

State of play: You cast thousands of votes yesterday! The results weren't that surprising:

• Al's #1 Beef, Johnnie's Beef, Mr. Beef and Buona Beef are the last four standing.
• Sorry, Portillo's.

🗳️ Vote here. We'll leave the polls open until 4pm.